Scattered Leaves
by Ascarde
Summary: It took two months, four days, seven hours, thirty eight minutes and four seconds after the Fourth Shinobi War started to go completely and utterly wrong. I do not own Naruto. Please support the official release.


It took two months, four days, seven hours, thirty eight minutes and four seconds after the Fourth Shinobi War started to go completely and utterly wrong.

No one was expecting Itachi Uchiha's Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror to be two of the three metal talismans on his necklace, but it was the case. It took two weeks for Madara to retrieve the corpse and pry the necklace from the corpse. With the sealing power of the blade, the four revived Hokage were dealt with in short order. With this, the war started turning in Madara's favor. The Alliance was dealt a heavy blow as the Totsuka Blade swept easily through their forces, sealing who they hit and blasting aside the others with the shockwaves. Jutsu failed against the Yata Mirror.

The Ten Tails was freed again, but the Alliance's greatest asset was gone now. To make matters worse, the two most powerful artifacts since the Sage of Six Path's Treasured Tools were now owned by the enemy. The liberation of the Ten Tails into its original form, the God Tree Shinju also had a side effect of saturating the world with chakra again. Jutsu strength was magnified explosively and grandly. An ordinary Grand Fireball turnned into one capable of scorching a crater the size of a small village. And the Alliance was caught in a stalemate against Madara, who viewed this whole ordeal amused.

It took another two weeks for the Alliance to withdraw to Konoha after leaving a significant amount of their forces behind to by as much time as possible. The five Kage also narrowly avoided being crushed by the Concealed Heaven, but at the expense of one of Sasuke's Sharingan using the forbidden art Izanagi.

The main forces of the five great villages were now convened within Konoha. They weren't sure of how much time their forces could buy. As such, they could only hope and pray as their forces recuperated. Sakura nearly collapsed from the war patients and had seen more than a few of them lose their lives under her care. It dealt a heavy blow to the budding medic.

One month until the end of the Shinobi World.

It was then that Naruto, acting Hokage as Tsunade was currently busy between the patients and training, came up with a plan. The Izanami, the jutsu that controls fate, Sasuke would give his eye. But for what, they argued?

"A second chance," he had responded.

Sasuke would utilize a partial Izanami to send them back to the beginning of everything, as far back as Sasuke could manage. It would be a long shot; Izanami's mechanics weren't quite clear to anyone, but it was worth a shot. The Sannin and Naruto Naruto would use what sealing knowledge they knew to seal their forces' memories and reawaken when the time was right. "Why not leave our memories as they are?" some had asked.

"Because the conflicting memories may very well snap your brain. The human brain can only handle so much," Tsunade had answered them as Naruto lacked the knowledge of the human brain to do so. It took much debating, but eventually the Alliance had agreed to have their memories sealed. It took another month and four days for Naruto and the two living Sannin to assist in making the seals. At the same time, Sasuke and Konoha made tentative amends, with Konoha saying they'll forgive him if it works. His response?

"You won't even remember it, and with any luck at all you won't have to. I'll follow my brother's will and fight to protect you." Team 7 and the Konoha 11 formed once more, preparing for daybreak tomorrow. It would all end there.

The sun rose and greeted the new day cheerfully. The grass was rich, the sky was relatively clear, only a few puffy clouds floating in the sky. In Konoha, an eerie silence had settled across the town. Barely a day until civilization collapsed.

The Alliance had regrouped at the field to a massacre. Madara and Obito had slaughtered them and now offered the survivors one last chance to surrender. They refused.

What had happened after could be considered nothing less than a massacre. Sasuke had withdrawn temporarily to set up the Izanami. Six hours later, the Alliance had all but collapsed.

The Five Kage were dead, crushed without ceremony under the Concealed Heaven.

The elite jounin were no match, easily being killed by Obito. Perhaps it was Naruto's unconscious will fueling stronger chakra cloaks, but they survived the longest.

Naruo activated Sage Mode, synchronized with Kurama, donned the Hat of Fire, and marched out to meet the two for the last time. He had died on the battlefield seven hours and thirty eight minutes later. He died as the Sixth Hokage with his friends, the entire Shinobi Corps of Konoha, behind him. They had shortly followed their newly inducted leader.

Madara was arrogant and boasting of his success over Naruto and the Konoha 11's corpses. Obito didn't show any outward emotion. Inside, he frankly didn't care at this point, even having slight regrets over this plan; his goal was a world without war, and was this not the most brutal war? This carelessness of theirs had a benefit, however. Neither noticed Sasuke sneaking up and activating the Infinite Tsukuyomi, replaced with Izanami.

It took four seconds before reality lurched, twisted, and flung itself back on the time axis sixteen years.

Naruto Uzumaki awoke in a field of grass outside Konoha. The date; October 9th.

One day before Kurama arrived, possessed by Obito.

* * *

"It was odd," Naruto decided, wandering through his home town. Konoha had never truly found the time to rebuild the more ancient buildings after Pai- Nagato's invasion. They had remained rubble, however most buildings had been repaired. They deliberately left some as monuments to war. Seeing it whole, pristine once more…

It was bittersweet, since he felt like all their struggles had been in vain. It was especially ironic knowing that tomorrow it would be ravaged once more.

Izanami was kind to him. It had flung him backwards and retained his Sage's cloak and his current body. The distinctive markings had people bowing to him when they weren't staring, noticing the similarities between him and his father.

He had assumed that it was due to the fact he wasn't born yet was why he retained so much, as when he looked around he could see some shinobi that had fought and died on the battlefield and didn't so much as bat an eye at him. The seals, it seemed, worked.

Naruto's main mission now was to prevent the future of despair from happening. The best way to do this was to trail his father. Doing this would bring him straight to Obito, and hopefully he was strong enough to defeat or even kill him. Obito was strengthened during the war by Nagato's Rinnegan. There was, however, the issue of his father. Confronting him directly would bring up uncomfortable questions. First, he had to hide his facial features. Genjutsu was out of the question. The Hokage- his father would not be deceived so easily.

Which meant he either had to dye his hair and get makeup for his whisker markings, or find something that would conceal his head completely. He already knew a few jutsu to disguise his voice; wind style was all about the manipulation of said element, and what was sound but vibrations in the air?

"The first option I'll have to take to be cautious," Naruto grimaced. He was proud of his hair color after his discovering his heritage. It was also a moral point in the war, with veterans of the initial few skirmishes saying it was like fighting alongside the Yellow Flash himself. He didn't quite get a snazzy nickname, not that soon into the war.

It was war anyway; such lightheartedness was unbecoming of a battlefield. The naivety of his youth was crushed ruthlessly out of him, albeit he returned to his old self in private. Whereas he abhorred the thought of violence prior, he had realized he would have to act with lethal force against Madara and Obito. Seeing his friends die right before his eyes likely didn't help him too much.

What would he call himself in this timeline? Naruto Uzumaki was quite clearly not an option. "I suppose… I suppose I could just drop 'Uzumaki.' Naruto is likely a relatively common name in the world," he thought reasonably. He could pass himself off as a war orphan from the Third Shinobi War, albeit explaining his Sage attire would be much more difficult. It wouldn't be too difficult to hide the red and black cloak, however.  
Purchasing plain black hair dye and some makeup, he wandered the streets some more before noticing the fading light. "My apartment is not an option at the moment. Far too many memories in this village; by all rights I should leave…"

Yet the selfish desire to see his family soared above all else. He would protect them this time around. Hopefully the odd paradox of two Naruto's wouldn't come to an explosive resolution.

Naruto left the village during twilight before stopping outside a river not too far away. The walls were still in sight and the fading light provided enough so that he could rub the dye in and apply the makeup. He frowned before rubbing at the oily solution. It was of relatively cheap make; not the shinobi quality used for stealth and infiltration. It may very well smudge, and that was relatively irritating at the most. He'd have to reapply it frequently. Scrunching up the Sage cloak, he shifted against the ground. By all rights it should be uncomfortable, yet it was oddly satisfying. Perhaps it was the fact that their plan was a success; no one would notice the seals immediately; it was a mental seal carefully done under their hair or on their thigh, and most of all you had to look for it or sense its chakra. And since the Alliance had used their own chakra to make the seals, sensor types would notice nothing out of the ordinary.

Thoughts running a mile a minute, Naruto fell into a fitful sleep, running scenario after scenario, each worse than the last and attempting to find a solution for each one. He missed the silent voice of Kurama and his now comfortable presence was gone.

Across the village, a tiny baby barely two months old gurgled in its crib. Sasuke was none too pleased to find himself in his baby body, but he had his memories and hopefully his powers. He wasn't quite willing to burn down his home to see if he still had Inferno Style, and by extension the Mangekyo.

More pressing matters urged his attention however. Namely, what was occurring all around him. Obito was many things, but one thing he could deny being was a liar. The Uchiha clan was indeed staging a coup. If he could stop the coup before it started, Itachi and his family would prove a valuable ally in the coming conflicts. But for now, he could do nothing. '_Perhaps I shouldn't have used so much chakra_,' he thought sourly. '_It worked, at the very least. I'll rendezvous with Naruto and…_'

Wait. One of Sasuke's more forgotten memories floated to the forefront. It was a day off in the old Team 7, and they were inquiring about each other's birthday. Sakura, it was revealed, was the youngest, born a year after Naruto. Naruto was the middle, being born barely half a year after Sasuke, and since he was in this body…

'_Damnit! He isn't born yet! Now what?_'

* * *

The next day had greeted Naruto and the village relatively well. It was almost exactly the same weather as they marched off to die, trying to prevent Madara's plan from coming to fruition. The gods, it seemed, had an odd pleasure in giving the best of weather to the worst of days.  
Tonight, he would challenge the fate of the world. Hopefully, he would bring a better conclusion tonight than having his family die trying to save his defenseless…

Oh. Oh no.

He had completely forgotten that he was going to be born! What would happen to his current form? Would it stay? Would it blink out of existence? Would it be absorbed by this Naruto and he would be helpless, reduced to watching as his family died right in front of his own eyes and knowing he could do nothing to save them?

No, no that didn't have to happen. He just had to meet with Kurama; hopefully their bond would help snap Kurama out of Obito's control. He had felt nothing inside of him, confirming the absence of his tenant. But, who would it be in care of- his mother! Right, Obito had attacked her and extracted the tailed beast before ordering its rampage. If he could keep watch over Kushina, then perhaps he could derail the Eye of the Moon Plan before it began.

However, how would he get close to her? Would he stay in the shadows or confront her directly? His heart screamed at him to stay by her side at any and all costs, yet cold logic ordered him to stay in the shadows and interfere when necessary. Conflicting emotions ruled over Naruto the rest of the morning.

Over in the Uchiha household, Sasuke was flushed with embarrassment, having to… well, drink. '_Uuu… this is embarrassing_,' Sasuke uncharacteristically whined as he fed on his mother's milk.

Two adult minds, one forced into a baby body, contemplated family and their issues. One with a coup, one with their continued survival. Sasuke had it difficult; he had a long term project ahead of him. Naruto had to focus on today, and how best to handle it. Either one, handled poorly, would send the world right back down on its countdown of doom.

The ultimate fate of the world will change today.

* * *

Noon. The sun rose high into the sky, shining down on Konoha peacefully. In the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was still locked in his crib. This time, he was pondering about today. What was quite possible the most famous of days in the history of Konoha, save his ancestor Madara and Hashirama founding the village.

''_October 10th..._

This day was cursed and blessed in the same breath. It was the day the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama, attacked Konoha, ravaged the village, killed the Hokage Minato Namikaze, Naruto's father, and was the first step towards the Eye of the Moon Plan.

At the same time, it was the birth of his closest and most trusted friend, one who freed him from the grips of the curse of hatred. It was the birth of a shinobi who so vastly outclassed him that it both was a humbling experience and a privilege to state that he was friends with Naruto Uzumaki. Even though he lost himself, he would now do all he could to help Konoha in the years to come. Perhaps he would confront Itachi.

'_I failed. I won't put myself above you and tell you this and that, it's too late_.' He would make sure his brother survived, he would ensure the clan's survival.

However, he could do nothing to stop the events of this day from happening. When he attempted to speak, it was but gurgles. His chakra coils were still underdeveloped and frail; they were completely unsuitable for the Susano'o or the Inferno Style. It took years to build up his strength and reserves to the point he could use such powers with ease. The release of the Shinju also assisted.

And now he was powerless. Helpless to stop they day from occuring. For all his might and boasts of strength and Uchiha superiority, trapped in this pathetic form he could do naught but watch the day crawl by.

It had been a very long time since he felt helpless. Yes he typically took on opponents horrendously out of his league and needed bailout to win, but he had never felt this helpless before. 'Damnit, sorry Naruto. I don't think I'm going to be able save your family.'

But Sasuke needed not fear.

Naruto was keeping watch over his family.

In any case...

He turned his head and saw Itachi and his father, his mother, laughing and talking with one another.

'_I'll have my own hands full for some time._'

* * *

Naruto was wearing ordinary brown traveling gear, passing himself off as a wanderer after the Third Shinobi War. He got some sympathetic gazes from some of the older jounin, some of whom he recognized as those who charged with him to confront Madara and Obito practically just a few hours ago. He wanted to jump in joy; everyone was alive, and they would stay that way for as long as he drew breath.

Right now he was lying in a tree in a park, pretending to be asleep but watching his mother, who was taking a walk. He saw that she was heavily pregnant, and something about the presence of the chakra coming from that mound called out to him. '_Makes sense, since that little mound is me,_' he mused to himself. He continued to watch his mother cheerfully humming a tune he didn't recognize.

'_I'm not going to let you die. I will do all in my power to prevent the events of today from occurring._'

After Kushina made her way out of Naruto's sight, he pushed himself off the tree and stealthily followed. It was about three in the afternoon; three more hours and it would start all over again. '_She's probably heading to the safehouse with the ANBU watch. Fat lot of good the ANBU did, but let's see if I fare any better_,' Naruto thought to himself. The details were fuzzy; when he had synched with his father some of his memories came across with Kurama's Yin chakra. They were fuzzy and practically worthless, but he did remember faintly how his father planned to keep his mother safe.

Multiple chakra signatures instantly convened towards her, and he immediately hid his chakra signature and himself. "Lady Uzumaki, we are here to escort you to safety. Please come with us," one ANBU said.

Kushina simply nodded and let herself be led away with the ANBU. '_All right, let's move_,' Naruto thought to himself before following them from a safe distance. A short while later, and he had arrived at a small bunker set right at the base of the Hokage Mountain's behind. It was certainly an intimidating structure; heavy metal doors emblazoned with the Uzumaki sigil and two ANBU were stationed right at the side. It opened and two doctors came out. "It's time, Lady Uzumaki. Are you prepared?"

His mother simply walked inside, the doors slamming shut behind her with a heavy clang. The ten ANBU did notice the hidden shadow above them hanging on the mountainside. However, thanks to Naruto's Sage chakra mingling with nature, it was indistinguishable from moss or some other organism. They did not believe it warranted investigation.

* * *

He respectfully stood outside, hidden within the trees as night fell. Naruto didn't really want to see himself being born, in any case. '_No odd sensations... I must be allowed to keep my current existence. Good, that will make things a fair bit easier_,' he thought to himself. He shifted on the rock perch he had found above the bunker. Such things were abundant when this was a rather popular training spot for rookies' experimental jutsu and all. '_The moon is rather eerie tonight... heh, perhaps that's why Obito chose tonight instead of any other night..._'

A wolf howled in the distance. Birds chirped. Inside Konoha, safe behind their massive wall, the townspeople were idly chatting. Naruto closed his eyes, meditating. He had a dilemma to ponder while he waited for the attack.

'_This will be an issue. Obito targeted my father after killing my mother, however Kamui will pose a daunting threat. I have no means to counter it, no trump card to play._'

Grainy memories flooded his mind; his father using the famous Flying Raijin to avoid the divine threat. He could not utilize such a technique to escape. By all means, it would be better if he were to allow his father to handle Obito while he aided in sealing away Kurama.

And yet...

His mother was a scant fifty feet away from him. The ANBU would likely fall any minute now. She was defenseless against the mighty Uchiha.

The crunching of grass underfoot. Unmistakable chains rattling in the dark. Gurgling as ten ANBU fell lifeless to the ground.

Obito had arrived.

Truly, a most difficult decision was upon him...

Would he aid his father with the defeat of Obito? Or would he go to Kurama and pray that it resonated with him?

In a split second, a decision was reached. Naruto stood, and jumped off his perch.

* * *

A/N: Pulled off for editing and so much content I decided to include the original next chapter. Here's the updated rerelease.

Notes:

Sasuke is not a prick and fully converted himself back to Konoha's side.

There will be no bashing of any character. These are characters, not sterotypes.

There will be two Narutos.

Naruto of the original timeline is much more jaded and serious. The younger will be a bit more cheerful, but due to resonance he will get some of the more terrible memories.

Unsure if I should implement pairings. I can attempt to make a paring work for old!Naruto however, if you have a suggestion in mind.

Since Izanami is rather ambiguous, I took some liberties with its mechanics. As a consequence, Sasuke will only get one Mangekyo, however. There may or may not be three of Itachi's eyes running around.

Questions, comments, concerns? Leave it in a review.

Criticisms are welcomed.

~J


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